In Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne, Violet Townsend would go to the ends of the earth for Edith Rhodes, the woman 
who runs a NYC business empire and is like a grandmother to her. But even for a socialite like herself, Violet isn’t sure how she’s going to turn Edith’s long-lost grandson Cain Stone into someone worthy of being the new CEO of Rhodes International. To say he’s rough around the edges is putting it very mildly. And while the man might have some previous business experience, Cain likely has no idea what he’s getting into if he takes over the family company. So it’s up to Violet to show him.
‘She had less than two months to turn him from an angry, ponytailed Louisiana resident into a Park Avenue-approved, boardroom-ready executive. She had no illusions that it was going to be easy. She wasn’t even sure it was possible.’
Cain certainly wastes no time aggravating Violet any way possible. He shoots down nearly all of her suggestions on anything from clothing to the places a businessman should be frequenting. Even while they butt heads, Violet is determined to do her best with Cain. She knows Edith would love to spend time with her grandson and be able to retire knowing the company is in family hands. The more time Violet and Cain spend together, the more she begins to understand what makes him tick. And, unfortunately, the more she realizes that her feelings have grown for the bad boy when he shows how good of a heart he’s hiding beneath the gruffness.
“Okay, so you’re not into theater. Noted. Anything you do like? Besides sex and sulking?”
His very white teeth flashed briefly, as though his grin caught him by surprise, and he had to recover to wipe it away. “I have some hobbies.”
A sweet and sexy contemporary take on My Fair Lady, with the roles reversed, Made in Manhattan paired up opposites attract with enemies to lovers and lots of laughs in between.
‘Violet may have set out to transform Cain, but it was becoming increasingly clear that it was she who had changed.’
Lauren Layne definitely has her finger on the pulse of New York City and it came through loud and clear in this retelling of My Fair Lady. From jaunts through Central Park to nights at jazz clubs to exploring the different districts/boroughs in the city, our socialite heroine Violet opened dirty talking hero Cain’s eyes to all NYC had to offer. It was interesting to watch Violet discover the city anew and realize how stuck in a rut she had been, not taking time to enjoy things right there in her own neighborhood. And that was kind of a theme here for them: doing new things and taking chances outside of their comfort zones.
I wasn’t really as engrossed in the first almost half of the book as I typically am with Lauren Layne’s work where there is a love triangle, a trope that doesn’t always work for me, depending on how it’s handled. Once that was (mostly) sorted out, I flew through the pages. It also seemed like the halfway point was where Cain and Violet’s feelings became more realistic so I couldn’t help but cheer them on. Layne did use her trademark thread of light humor and of course there was her quick, witty bantering. The conversations were so much fun–and not only between our lovebirds, but with everyone else in their circle.
If you like a story where both main characters become more self-aware and true to themselves all while falling in love against the odds, then Made in Manhattan will certainly please.
QOTD: This story was all about becoming the best & truest version of yourself. Have you ever gone through a big transformation or helped anyone go through one?
Book Info:
Publication: Expected publication: January 18th 2022 | Gallery Books |
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Central Park Pact comes a reverse My Fair Lady for the modern era about a pampered and privileged Manhattan socialite who must teach an unpolished and denim-loving nobody from the Louisiana Bayou how to fit in with the upper crust of New York City. Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.
Violet Townsend has always been a people pleaser. Raised in the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan, she always says the right things, wears the right clothes, and never rocks the boat. Violet would do anything for the people closest to her, especially her beloved grandmother. So when she asks Violet to teach the newly-discovered grandson of her friend how to fit in with New York City’s elite, Violet immediately agrees. Her goal? To get Cain Stone ready to take his place as heir to his family company…but to say he’s not exactly an eager student is an understatement.
Born and raised in rural Louisiana and now making his own way in New Orleans, Cain Stone is only playing along for the paycheck at the end. He has no use for the grandmother he didn’t know existed and no patience for the uppity Violet’s attempts to turn him into a suit-wearing, museum-attending gentleman.
But somewhere amidst antagonistic dinner parties and tortured tux fittings, Cain and Violet come to a begrudging understanding—and the uptight Violet realizes she’s not the only one doing the teaching. As she and Cain begin to find mutual respect for one another (and maybe even something more), Violet learns that blindly following society’s rules doesn’t lead to happiness…and that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected places.
